feeding question

[SethsDad]

Ok well i know this is said to happen but its a first for me. Ive had my BP for about a year now and he ate every week, never missed a meal. I always stun or kill the rodent before feeding for safety. now heres my problem. I killed the rat and dangle as ussuall and Seth (my BP) is acting scared of it, he wont eat it and just tries to hide when i wiggel the rat near him, ussually hes always had a very aggressive feeding responce and was at the rodent before i could blink. So what do i do? ive left the dead rat in his tank for a few hours now and he isnt eating it. Should i leave it in there over night and see if he eats it? shopuld i freeze the rat and try again with it in a a couple of days? is this something to be concerned about being that hes always had such a active and responcive fedding responce? I know im probably overreacting but im a concerned parent here so any advice will help. Thanks.
~Seths Dad

[ddbjdealer]

I would probably just freeze it, and then thaw it and re-offer it next week on your regular feeding day.

[frankykeno]

I'd freeze it quickly if you are going to rather than leave it for hours. If you decide to leave it with him and see if he'll take it when you are not around, then just toss it if it's still there later on.

Refusing a meal here or there isn't a big deal as long as you know he's healthy, he's of good weight and condition and nothing has changed in his environment that might be triggering it. Sometimes they just self-regulate their eating, after all it's not like someone trots through the termite mounds of Africa every Thursday night at 8:45 p.m. happily dispensing appropriate rodents LOL.

As always, double check your husbandry and your snake and if all is well that way, I'd say just relax and try again next week.

[Davu]

I agree with franky and dd. (sorry about the italics i dont know what i pressed and cant get them off) Yea if the rat hasnt been out for to long I would freeze it asap so it doesnt get all soggy. If you leave it out and it starts getting soggy then just toss it and try again at his normal feeding time. Its been my experience with Davu that if the rat is not freshly dethawed he will not touch it. I tried to refreeze one and then thaw it and offer it the next week and no dice! I had to get another one thaw it and offer it freshly thawed and he was all over that one!
Although i have heard of people that refreeze the rat so that the cell tissue would start to break down and then there balls would eat it but that has not been my experience.

Good luck!

[SethsDad]

Thank you all for your responces im going to toss the rat and try again next week. I check all temps and humidy and all is well, nothing has changed in his envirement he just decided not to eat for the first week in his life lol. Ive heard its not uincommon i was just worried because of how aggressive his feeding reponce ussually is. Normally when a rat enters the same room he strikes at everything that moves trying to eat it. But mabey like everyone said hes just self regulating. Thank you all for the responces, it helps calm a concerned dad.